Carolina Welcome: Minority student welcome

As part of Welcome Week activities, the Office of Minority Student Affairs hosted approximately 300 students from racially diverse backgrounds Wednesday at the Russell House.

De’Shara Gadson, a board member for the Minority Assistance Peer Program, says the main purpose of the event was to emphasize to minority students that they are welcome at USC.

“Many times minority students come to events but don’t see anyone who looks like them. This is an opportunity to meet others who look like them, and we want them to know that they belong here, and make them feel at home,” Gadson says.

Aaliyah Brown, a freshman from Irmo, S.C., says she learned about the different multi-cultural student teams across campus, and has already decided that she wants to get involved with the Multicultural Outreach Student Team (MOST).

“I’m interested in MOST because the program hosts tours for high school seniors, and introduces them to university programs such as study abroad,” Brown says.

During the program, the students received welcome messages from several university administrators, including Dennis Pruitt, vice provost and vice president of student affairs.

“Do the things you have to do, take care of yourselves — eat well, get enough sleep, exercise and maintain spirituality in your life and don’t worry about things so much that you don’t have a good time while you’re here,” Pruitt says.

Joshua Barcus, a music education major from Darlington, S.C., is already immersed in university activities as a member of the marching band.

“I like the campus — it’s gorgeous here. It’s been very welcoming, even though it’s been nerve wracking at times, it feels like home,” Barcus says.